Bolzano's food is a hybrid of Austrian and Italian traditions, and both sides are done well. The South Tyrolean standards are excellent: Speck (cured mountain ham), canederli (bread dumplings in broth), Schlutzkrapfen (half-moon pasta filled with spinach and ricotta), and apple strudel appear on almost every menu. Italian pasta, pizza, and risotto are equally present. The apple orchards of the valley mean that local apple products — juice, schnapps, strudel — are ubiquitous and high quality.
The best eating is around Via dei Portici, Piazza delle Erbe, and the side streets of the old town. The Merkante market hall near Piazza delle Erbe sells excellent local produce — cheese, Speck, bread, wine — for a picnic. South Tyrolean wine, particularly Lagrein and Gewürztraminer from the vineyards immediately south of the city, is worth trying.